So, I’m at work earlier this week and on the phone with a user when the message light comes on my phone. Since the phone hadn’t rung, I assumed that someone – presumably my boss – had transferred a voice-mail to me. When I got off the phone I checked my voicemail and the sender was Broadcast box. That got me worried – this function is normally reserved as a Reverse-911 in an emergency. I log in and bring up the message.
And it’s a commercial.
From the head football coach.
He was encouraging all the faculty and staff to attend the Appreciation day and to get our “dagum season tickets”.
I lasted only a few second myself before I deleted the message – I heard the rest when my boss played the message on his speaker phone.
Really? This is a good use of our time and resources? And it gets worse.
Today, I got a call from the ticket office. Since I help this group with an online registration for sports camps, I picked up the call and mentally shifted into “online registration mode” since this system has some fairly complex rules.
The guy on the phone asked if I had plans to attend homecoming weekend and before I could answer, indicated that they are very excited about the basketball team. He then asked if how many basketball games I planned to attend. I replied that “I’m not really a fan”.
“Oh, ” he said, “Why not?”
At this point, my side of the conversation split into three tracks:
1. What I said, “I’m not really into sports,”
2. What I was thinking, “It’s boring and a waste of time,”
3. What I would have said if I’d had more time to think about it, “I’d rather play video games,” or, if I really wanted to mess with him, “I NEVER LEARNED HOW TO READ!”
He replied, “Why is that? Don’t like the atmosphere…?”
1. What I said, “You know, I’m at work and I really need to get back to that. I think we should just end this call,”
2. What I was thinking, “You are annoying the shit out of me,”
3. What I would have said if I’d had more time to think about it, “I really just hate other people and can’t stand to be around them,” or “I’m deathly afraid of kangaroos,”
I managed to hang up without being a total jerk-face – though I really wish it was in my nature to do that every so often. Yes, I know it’s his job and he’s supposed to try to forcibly extract a season ticket from me. Yes, I know I should give a damn about the sports teams here or at least pretend better.
But, really, I just couldn’t care less. I just want to put in my 8 hours and then get the hell out of here.
Two times in the same week – I got telemarketed by my own employer.